A Forever Kind of Love
by evgrrl09
Summary: When Morgan finally confesses his love for Garcia, the result is something no one sees coming... Total M/G
1. Chapter 1

**So this is my VERY first fanfiction…like ever. I love Criminal Minds and the Morgan/Garcia pairing. Please review!**

**A Forever Kind of Love-Chapter 1**

The ceremony itself had been beautiful. Penelope's long white dress had fit her like a glove, accenting her curves and allowing her hair to glow. Her ruby red lips were tilted into a smile as Rossi walked her down the aisle towards her waiting groom. When the question was asked of whether or not anyone objected to the union of Penelope Garcia and Kevin Lynch, every fiber of Derek Morgan's being wanted to jump up and shout that he did indeed object. He wanted to look into Penelope's brown eyes and beg her not to marry Lynch.

Instead, he remained seated, his only movement at that moment a furrowing of his brow. No matter how much he pleased with her the night before, there was no way Penelope would leave Lynch. No matter how much he told her he loved her, she would only say, "I love you too, but…"

As Kevin was told he could kiss his bride, Derek felt his chest constrict and finally, his hear shatter. Next to him, Reid looked at him with concern and studied his face. Spencer Reid could read Derek like a book. He was in pain and it didn't look like he would recover from his broken heart.

As soon as he was able to Derek shot up and disappeared. Both Reid and Hotch looked at each other. "Do you think he'll get through this okay?" Reid asked in concern. "I've never seen him this way."

Hotch shook his head. "I don't know," he said quietly. "Something happened last night. I think he came clean with her. Before Rossi led her down the aisle and I was back there with them, there was something…off with her. She asked if either of us had seen Derek and she teared up when we told her no."

They both stood up to head for the reception. Hotch saw Penelope and Kevin greeting their guests, but Derek was nowhere to be found. It was highly possible he'd left altogether, but he had a feeling Derek was still around, somewhere. Without bothering to talk to either the bride or the groom, Hotch made his way out the doors of the church to find his missing friend.

Penelope looked around the reception hall for Derek's tall form, but it was nowhere she could see. She felt tears burning in the back of her eyes as she looked around people to find him. All throughout the ceremony she forced herself to look at Kevin, to focus on the man she was marrying, but the back of her mind kept drifting to Derek. She knew if she looked at him her appearance would waiver and she wouldn't be able to continue with her wedding.

The night Derek had come to her, telling her that he was madly in love with her, she'd laughed. At first she thought he might be drunk, but the moment he kissed her she was positive there was no alcohol on his breath. He was well and truly sober.

"_Baby Girl, please, don't marry him," he said. "Please."_

"_Derek, what are you expecting?" she cried. "You want me to just leave Kevin? The man who asked me to marry him?" Tears were rolling down her cheeks. It was the night before her wedding, and the man who was best friend, the man who she loved more than any other was telling her he loved her. She was in shock and almost positive that Derek was lying. He'd always hated Kevin, insisting he wasn't good enough for her. He was probably trying to "save" her from an unhappy marriage. And in reality it would probably not be a happy marriage. Penelope didn't love Kevin; she loved Derek. But Derek didn't love her. Not the way she loved him. Not the way he was claiming to love her._

_He brought his hands up to cup her face. "Penelope, I love you. And I know you love me. Please, let me show you."_

Derek sat underneath a tree, a half empty bottle of Jack Daniels next to him. The evening was pleasant with only a slight chill in the air to cool his heated cheeks. Already the alcohol was blurring his vision and sending tingles down his spine. Two fat tears rolled down his cheeks and he clumsily swiped them away from his face. The night was going to fade away any moment and he had every intention of drowning in whiskey until he passed out.

He _knew_ Penelope loved him. He _knew_ she didn't love Lynch. Why then did he feel so empty? Closing his eyes for a moment, he didn't even notice Hotch's stride coming up to join him underneath the tree.

"You going to finish that all or are you going to share with your boss?" he chuckled. He smiled sadly at him.

Derek's eyes snapped open and he grinned widely. Clearly, he was intoxicated. "Bossman!" he slurred. "How you be?" He lout out a loud belch and laughed as if he didn't have a care in the world. He looked at Hotch and went on. "Do you think she really loves him? Huh? 'Cuz I can tell you, I _know_ my Baby Girl! I _know_ she would…" His voice trailed off and he put his head in his hands, choking on his words.

Hotch took the bottle from Derek's grasp. All he had to do was yank it. Derek was inconsolable.

"You want to know what I think?"

He got a grunt in response. "Whazat?"

"I think you should tell her how you feel," Hotch stated bluntly, even though he knew Derek had already poured his feelings out.

"Already done," he stated bluntly.

"If you love Penelope-"

"Of course I do!" he bellowed. "She's my whole world!" When his eyes met Hotch's it was frightening how blood shot they were. "I would do anything to ensure her happiness." Slamming his fist down, he added, "Which is why I'm going to New York."

Surprised, Hotch stared at him blankly.

"They still want me there, so I'm going," he said decisively. "I can't stay here, knowing she's with Lynch. My flight leaves at midnight."

Hotch hoped if he tried to convince Derek to stay, he might listen, but there was no mistaking what was going on. Penelope had left Derek broken and without purpose. It would only destroy him entirely if he stayed.

So instead of urging Derek to stay, Hotch clapped him on the back and offered, "Let me drive you. It's my last order for you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! So here is Chapter 2. Thank you to everyone who took a look at this. It's much appreciated. I hope you continue to like it…please let me know if you still do! ~ Abbey**

"_Hello, my lovelies!" Penelope chirped. It was her first day back to work after her honeymoon and she was both excited to see her friends and anxious to see Derek. The night before her wedding when he'd come to her apartment, begging her not to marry Kevin, was engrained in her brain. She loved him too, but she didn't trust him with her heart. If she left Kevin for Derek and they didn't work out…it was too painful to think about._

_So she'd picked Kevin, who she didn't think capable of being her true passion, but who also wouldn't break her heart._

"_PG!" Prentiss said elatedly. She ran to her friend and threw her arms around her. "Well, not the 'G' anymore, I guess." She smiled brightly._

_At that moment, the rest of the team made their way into the bullpen. Reid, Rossi, and JJ all gave her tight hugs of welcome. Hotch, the ever stoic Unit Chief, even hugged her. He said, "How were your three weeks off? Enjoy it?"_

_Penelope smiled at her boss. "Loved it." Looking around the bullpen, she scanned the area for Derek. She knew he would still be hurting, but she thought he would at least come and say hello to her._

_Nervously, she looked to the rest of the team. She bit her lip. "Where – ah – where's Morgan? Is he around?"_

_A tense silence filled the space around them and they shot looks around at each other. No one would look at Penelope directly. Reid was the first to speak. "Garcia, Morgan's gone. He left for the New York office."_

_Penelope's breathing stopped in her lungs and her heart halted its regular beat. A lump formed in her throat. Tears began to swim on the surface of her eyes. Immediately she blinked them away. If Derek was gone, then she would forget about him. It was in the past and though it was bringing pain to her, she was confident it would eventually dull and go away._

_She had a loving husband now, after all. She could care less what Derek Morgan was doing with his life. He was no longer a part of hers._

Eight Months Later

Penelope rubbed her fully pregnant belly as her daughter kicked inside her. At eight months pregnant, she was more than ready to meet her daughter. It had been a miserable time without caffeine.

And Kevin. Kevin had essentially begun to ignore her and she had no idea why. He spent most nights either out or on the couch watching TV, he rarely touched or talked with her anymore, and when she tried to bring up issues regarding their daughter, he flat out refused any conversation.

It broke her heart to think he had no interest in getting ready for parenthood, despite all his former talk of wanting a large family. She hoped and prayed he would be thrilled when she finally had their baby.

At times, especially when she was alone in bed and Kevin was watching TV, she let her thoughts drift to Derek. She wondered if he missed her or if he had fallen in love with some New York girl. Almost every night she dreamt of him, each one a different scenario. As the months went by, she knew marrying Kevin had been a mistake, not only because he apparently didn't love her, but because her mind kept drifting to Derek. The only good thing coming out of her marriage so far was her daughter.

Staring blankly at her computer screen, Penelope sighed. She pulled open her desk drawer and took out the one picture she still had of Derek. Her index finger traced the outline of his face and tears began to burn in her eyes. The times of being with her best friend were gone, all the memories packed into storage, their only purpose to be forgotten. He didn't call, he didn't email, he didn't visit.

It was clear: Derek Morgan was never going to return.

As she put the photo back, she felt a flood of wetness between her legs and a contraction hit her like a semi-truck. She began to panic. Rising from her chair, Penelope waddled out into the hallway, praising whoever was might have been listening that Reid was there.

"Oh, Boy Wonder! Thank goodness!" she cried, grabbing his hands. "We're going to the hospital."

"What?" he asked confused. "We're supposed to be going to JJ and Will's for Thanksgiving."

"Change of plans," she said. "We're going to the hospital. I'm in labor."

**Sorry this chapter was shorter. No worries about our favorite couple…Derek's gonna be back. And he's in for a surprise :) **


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm so glad you decided to come back for Thanksgiving!" JJ said to Derek as they drove along through the rain to get back to Will and JJ's house. Henry was with Hotch and Jack while his parents picked Derek up from the airport. Derek's coming home to Quantico was a surprise for everyone, save for Hotch and JJ who had arranged the visit.

"Me too, Blondie," Derek said with a ghost of a smile.

At first when Hotch suggested he come back for the holidays, Derek had scoffed at the idea. After all, Penelope and Kevin were expecting their first child and he didn't want to have to see the two of them together. It would destroy him. But then he thought if may help him move on. That it might give him some closure. So he'd called Hotch up and told him to expect him for Thanksgiving.

He only talked to his former team every month or so and never did the subject of Penelope come up. It seemed reasonable to come and see them, if only for a little while.

"Henry and Jack are so excited that their Uncle Derek is coming home for Thanksgiving. They both want to tell you all about their school years so far. Jack started soccer and he wants to show you some of his moves."

Derek rubbed his head. "Wow! I still can't believe both of them are in school. Just proves how old I'm getting."

Will chuckled from the driver's seat. "When you have kids of your own, you have an even harder time believing it."

"I bet," he laughed, but he could only fake enthusiasm. He would never have children, not when the one woman he loved was married to someone else.

The conversation was restricted to neutral topics, the same way the phone conversations were. The weather, Henry and Jack, cases. When JJ's phone rang, everything stilled. Her eyes widened and she said hastily, "We'll be right there!" Turning to her husband, she said anxiously, "Will, we need to go the hospital."

Penelope was in labor.

The rest of his former team was thrilled to see him.

"It's great to see you, Morgan," Prentiss said, giving him a hug. "It's not been the same without you."

Reid nodded in agreement and smiled widely. "How's New York? Enjoying your post still?"

Derek clapped Rossi on the back. "Things are good. I miss you guys too." He moved to greet Hotch next. It was Hotch who informed him of most of the goings on at the BAU. He'd been the only one to break news of Penelope to him. He'd been the one who told him about her pregnancy.

"_Derek," Hotch began. "I wanted you to hear this from me."_

"_Hear what, man?" Even though he was asking, he had some notion as to what his former boss was going to tell him. And he knew it was going to break him._

"_Penelope's expecting a baby," Hotch told him. His voice was sympathetic, like he knew he was delivering Derek the news that would shake his world._

"Hey Hotch," Derek said, sticking his hand out for the other man to shake. "How's it going man?"

Hotch let out one of his rare smiles and said, "Nothing out of the ordinary. How are _you_? You gonna be okay?" His gaze was probing; he knew exactly how Derek was doing. And okay was not the correct word.

"I'll be fine."

Somehow Hotch doubted that.

Around eight o'clock Will took both Jack and Henry home for the evening while the rest of the team and Derek stayed put. It wasn't until ten o'clock, though, that they heard the cry of a baby.

What immediately followed was not what any of them would have expected.

"_You whore_!" came Kevin's voice.

All in the waiting room looked up in shock. It was written all over their faces. Derek felt anger boil in his veins and he saw red. How dare Lynch call Penelope a whore! And after she just gave birth! If Derek ever saw Kevin again, he would flatten him.

There was more incoherent shouting, the voices sounding completely muddled. The baby's crying was joined by Penelope's crying. All Derek wanted to do was run to her aid, but Hotch shook his head at him. He exchanged glances with Rossi and Prentiss, both of them looking just as angry as him.

A nurse cried," Sir! Leave now! You don't get out of here and we'll call security." The woman sounded infuriated as she tried to keep her voice calm.

"She's nothing to me!" Kevin roared.

Clenching his fists, Derek rose from his seat, ready to show Kevin how it felt to be well and truly punched. He stepped forward when Kevin appeared in the waiting room, his face red with anger and glasses ajar on his nose. Both Rossi and Hotch had to restrain Derek by grabbing his shoulders to keep him from killing Kevin.

"You son of a bitch!" Derek hissed at Kevin. "How _dare_ you call her that!"

Kevin glared viciously at him. "She's nothing but a fucking whore! She slept with _you_!"

Derek's face went blank as Kevin stormed out of the waiting room, leaving the whole team wondering what the hell had just happened.

The moment Penelope first heard her daughter cry, she knew she was going to be extremely happy. Her heart swelled with love and she looked at Kevin, expecting to see the same emotions on his face. All she saw was pure shock and then, as he turned to look at her, hatred. She knew then that something was horribly wrong.

"What is it?" she asked in panic as she watched the nurses cleaning the baby up.

"_You whore!_" Kevin spat.

"Sir," the doctor said firmly. "Calm down."

Penelope took a deep breath. "Can I see my baby?" She held out her arms and the nurse placed a small pink bundle in them. Tears flooded her eyes.

The baby girl in her arms had been cleaned up to reveal light mocha colored skin and black curly hair.

Penelope gasped. This was not the child of Kevin Lynch. This was Derek Morgan's daughter.

"You – you slept with Morgan?" Kevin blurted incredulously. "What the fuck Penelope?"

The cries of the baby girl continued to ring out in the room and Penelope was trying desperately to shield her from Kevin's suddenly menacing form.

"Kevin, I'm sorry!" she begged. "It was one night. I had no idea this baby could be his!"

He was shaking his head, running both his hands through his hair in fury. "You've always loved him! And when you started calling _his_ name in your sleep, even after it was _me_ you married, I should've known there was something wrong." His face was deadly. "Didn't you ever wonder why I started sleeping on the couch? Why I stopped touching you? I thought this baby would bring us back together, but clearly that's not going to happen. She's not even mine. She's fucking Derek Morgan's!"

Tears were rolling down her cheeks now as she clutched her child. He stepped closer and looked as if he would make a grab for the baby. Instead he slapped Penelope across the face.

Infuriated, the nurse said, "Sir! Leave now! You don't get out of here and we'll call security."

"She's nothing to me!" Kevin spat. He soon stormed out of the room, leaving Penelope with her screaming infant.

"Do you want to press charges?" the nurse asked gently, taking a look at Penelope's cheek.

Penelope shook her head, her eyes never leaving her baby. "No," she choked out. She stroked her finger down her daughter's cheek.

All she wanted was Derek. She'd no idea that their one night together would lead to a baby. They'd made love the night before she got married and she'd broken his heart by going through with the whole thing. The next night she'd slept with her new husband. She never imagined the baby was Derek's. He was the love of her life, her soulmate. Hurting him had been the hardest thing she'd ever had to do, but she was thinking only of her heart. Only concerned that he might break it.

Ironically, she broke his. After tearing his heart out and stomping it in the ground, she couldn't imagine him wanting to even be near her or their baby.

"Mrs. Lynch? There's an Aaron Hotchner would like to speak with you. Can he come in?"

Penelope didn't look away from her baby. She was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. She was the genetically perfect offspring of her parents. The perfect combination. She was mesmerized by her. However, she knew she would have to face everyone eventually. She would have to face Derek. But at that moment she just wanted to be with her daughter.

"Penelope?" Hotch said hesitantly, looking at her with concern. She finally looked up to see her boss coming in the room. "The nurse said you weren't talking so –" He stopped short when he saw the baby.

"Hotch, meet Eden," she whispered. "Derek's daughter."

**So….? Whatcha think?**


	4. Chapter 4

**So, baby Lynch turned out to be baby Morgan. Who wants to see how he'll react to Eden?**

After Hotch disappeared into Penelope's room, Derek was in shock. The rest of his former team was staring at him, complete surprise on their faces.

"Morgan?" Reid asked, his voice extremely quiet. "You do realize what this means, don't you?"

"Do I know what this means?" Derek hissed in disbelief. "Yeah, I know what this fucking means!" He ran his hands over his head and started to pace. Panic set in and his stomach began to churn. He started to sweat. He wanted to punch a wall. He, Derek Morgan, notorious player, was now a father. And the love of his life had carried his child. "Did she – did she know that this baby was mine, do you think?"

Rossi shook his head. "She definitely did not know. Her behavior didn't display any signs of guilt and she seemed confident about Kevin being happy with the baby. She thought this baby was Lynch's."

"Fuck," Derek growled.

"Derek, you need to calm down," JJ soothed. She came up and put her hand on his arm gently. "C'mon. We're going to get some air." She began to lead a very stunned Derek outside.

Once outside, Derek breathed in the chilly November air and leaned against the wall of the hospital. His emotions were out of control. He had a child now and he had no idea if Penelope would let him anywhere near her. With JJ by his side he felt slightly better and less inclined to punch a wall.

"Do you…" His voice trailed off. "Do you think she'll let me see my – my daughter?" he asked nervously. "My daughter," he stated more quietly.

"Of course she will," JJ said, pulling Derek into a hug. "She loves you. And she knows you'll love your daughter."

Derek took another deep breath. His stomach was churning and he had begun to sweat again. "Alright. Let's go."

When they returned, the rest of the team still had questioning expressions on their faces, save for Hotch. He motioned for Derek to come with him. His gaze was stern as he pulled him aside.

"Be gentle with her," Hotch said. "She's feeling an enormous amount of guilt right now, and most of it is over having your child and not knowing it was yours. She's devastated and afraid you're going to hate her."

"I could never," Derek whispered. "I would never hate her."

"Her marriage is over," Hotch added. "Make your next moves wisely."

Derek just nodded and hesitantly strode forward into the hospital room, his heart on guard. The last time he'd seen Penelope she'd shattered it. He didn't think he could survive it twice.

The moment their eyes met, a silence blanketed the room. Derek glanced at the wriggling, gurgling pink bundle in Penelope's arms and felt tears spring to his eyes even though he had yet to lay his eyes on his daughter.

"Baby Girl," he said softly.

"Hey Derek," she whispered. "Derek, I'm so sorry," she then sobbed. "If I had any thought in my mind that this was your baby I wouldn't have stopped until I told you." Derek opened his mouth to sooth her worries, but she pressed on. "And I understand if you hate me, if you want nothing to do with…our daughter."

Devastation then covered Derek's face that she thought he would cut ties with her and abandon their baby. "Penelope, I could never, _ever_ hate you. And I want nothing more than to be a father to our daughter. If you're okay with it, of course." His eyes were hopeful and he continued to stare at his daughter. The overwhelming desire to love and protect his daughter was already there and Penelope's eyes watered at the sight of it.

Derek would always be there to love their daughter.

"May I come meet her?" he asked in a voice so soft, Penelope almost didn't hear.

She nodded. "Of course," she murmured.

He almost tripped over his own feet to get over to sit on the left side of Penelope's bed. She pulled the blanket around the baby's face down so Derek could see a pair of brown eyes identical to his own. The little girl's eyes shot to look at him. She made a gurgling sound as she looked at him and Derek smiled widely.

"Hey little girl," he said. "I'm your daddy."

Penelope held out the baby girl for Derek to hold her. "You won't break her," she laughed as Derek looked at her like a deer in headlights.

Hesitantly Derek took the wriggling bundle from Penelope and looked at his daughter. As he held her, he knew he'd found the one person aside from Penelope he would die to protect.

Derek holding their daughter was the most moving sight Penelope had ever seen. Tears were brimming in his eyes and he brought one of his fingers up to stroke her cheek. There was no doubt Eden was his daughter. Not only did she have skin a shade lighter than his, but her eyes were the exact same dark brown.

Eden was surely her father's daughter.

"Have you named her?" he asked. His eyes finally came up to meet Penelope's.

She nodded. "Eden. Her name is Eden," she said.

Derek smiled and let Eden latch her tiny hand around the tip of his index finger. "She's perfect."

When Eden was asleep, Penelope knew she would have to have an actual conversation with Derek. The team had gone home for the night, their Thanksgiving forgotten, to let her and Derek talk everything out. For now it was just the two of them. And they had a lot to discuss.

Derek had moved to sit in a chair next to the hospital bed. His face was on guard as their eyes met. She didn't blame him; their last encounter had sent him all the way to New York.

"Derek, I'm so, so sorry," she repeated. "For everything. I should never have married Kevin. I was –" She stopped to choke on a sob.

"Why _did_ you marry him then?" His voice was accusatory, just firm. He rose his eyebrows at her, his stare probing into her like a drill.

"Because he was the safest choice for me. And I would be guilty."

"What about me, Penelope? Do you feel guilty for what you did to me?"

She bent her head and bit her lip, tears still spilling from her eyes. "Every night I relive seeing your face on that night. Every night I see you in my dreams, hating me for what I did to you." She took a deep breath. "And every night I cry out your name in my sleep. Kevin started sleeping on the couch because he heard me." Her tear streaked eyes looked at him and she tried rubbing tears from her cheeks. "It's always been you Derek. I just wasn't willing to let myself do that, knowing that we might not have worked out. I can live losing Kevin. I couldn't survive if I lost you."

He still hadn't spoken again.

Derek sighed and he moved to sit next to Penelope, wrapping his arms around her protectively. He kissed the top of her head and murmured against her hair, "You'll never lose me. Not ever again, for as long as we live."

Sobbing, Penelope leaned her face into Derek's chest and held him tightly. "I love you, Derek Morgan," she said. "I love you so much."

Derek smile into her blonde hair. "I love you too, Penelope Garcia."


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's Chapter 5! Thanks again to everyone who's reviewed. We are going to hear from Kevin again. I've made him a real dick in this, but I'm sure most of you don't care :) I hope you all like this next installment!**

_Three Months Later_

Derek rubbed his eyes tiredly as they arrived back in the bullpen around seven o'clock in the evening. Hotch had given him his old position on the BAU as soon as he transferred back from New York, so he was back on the road, chasing unsubs with the rest of his team.

The most recent case had been particularly rough on all of them and all he wanted to do was go home to Penelope and Eden. He kept a picture of the two of them in his wallet and called Penelope whenever time was willing, but it wasn't the same as seeing them in front of him and being able to hold them both. Sighing, he got ready to start the paperwork that would likely keep him there for another two hours, and by then it would be past the time Eden fell asleep.

"Morgan," Prentiss said, coming up behind his chair. "You get home. I'll finish up this for you." She touched his shoulder gently. Derek was about to protest, but she held up her hand and shook her head. "No. It's been two weeks since you last saw your daughter. Get going."

Shaking his head and chuckling, he rose from his seat and said, "Thanks Prentiss. I'll see you in two days."

Derek took no extra time getting home; he was ecstatic at the thought of seeing both his Baby Girls. There had been cases in the last three months that kept him away for a few days, but never had he been separated from his daughter for two whole weeks. It was agonizing. When he pulled his SUV into the driveway of the house they'd bought together the previous month, he nearly sprinted towards the house.

"Baby Girl?" Derek called as he hung up his jacket and dropped his go-bag off by the door. He didn't find her anywhere in the kitchen or living room, so he climbed the stairway to the second floor, growing anxious with each passing moment. He didn't know why he was beginning to freak out, but his stomach would be in knots until he laid eyes on Penelope and Eden. "Penelope?" he said again.

"In the nursery, Handsome," her voice said.

Letting out a breath of relief, Derek headed into his daughter's bedroom and found Penelope sitting cross-legged on the floor, bouncing Eden in the air. Their daughter was giggling and smiling the entire time. Penelope looked up at him and cooed at their daughter, "Look who's home!" She pointed at Derek with an extravagant smile on her face. "It's Daddy!" She stood up from the ground and Eden began to giggle, holding her arms out towards Derek for him to take her.

Happily, Derek took her from Penelope and kissed her curl-covered head. "Hey Baby Doll," he murmured. Next he leaned down to kiss Penelope gently on the lips. "I missed you and your mama."

Penelope grinned at Derek, relieved that he was finally home. The time without him had drug by so slowly and Eden had been irritable for the first few days of his absence. She clearly missed her Daddy. Seeing him rock Eden in his arms made her feel safe and secure, knowing that the man that loved and protected them was home. At least for a little while before the next case came up.

"How's my princess been?" Derek asked her, tickling Eden's belly. She let out another giggle and he grinned even wider. "Did you miss me? Because I missed you, little girl. I missed you a lot." He raised his daughter above his head and smiled up at her. Eden laughed and clapped her little hands together.

"Of course she missed you," Penelope said softly, touching Derek's cheek affectionately. "And I missed you. A lot." She looked at him suggestively and smirked, watching the heat light up is eyes. He raised an eyebrow at her and brought Eden down to hug her to his chest again. Her little arms wrapped around his neck and he kissed her cheek. He watched Penelope adjust her cat-eye shaped glasses and look at him intently. He knew exactly what was on her mind.

"When we get this little monkey down, I'll be waiting for you," she said seductively in his ear. "And Agent Morgan, do I have a surprise for you." She nipped at his ear and headed for the door, leaving Derek with Eden and looking at her retreating figure longingly.

Tilting his head down to look into his daughter's big and curious brown eyes, he said, "Baby Doll, your mother is one remarkable woman." Eden just gurgled and smiled up at him, understanding only that he was smiling at her. Kissing her little head, he noted that she was getting sleepier by the minute.

"Time for bed, little monkey." He put her in a pair of pjs and kissed her one last time before laying her in her crib. "I love you, Eden. Sleep tight." He watched her until she fell asleep, turned the baby monitor on, and shut the light off, heading off to see just what Penelope's surprise for him was.

"Baby Girl, how much longer are you gonna be in there?" Derek was well aware that he was whining, but he was an anxious man. And a horny one at that.

"Patience is a virtue, Handsome," she sang out cheerily. "Believe me, this is something well worth the wait. Derek sighed, lounging on their king-size bed in nothing but a t-shirt and boxers. "Okay, you ready for this Hot Stuff?"

"Oh, I was born ready, Baby Girl."

The next thing he knew, Penelope had flung the door to their bathroom open dramatically and leaned seductively against the door frame. Derek sucked in a breath and instantly his body began to heat up. The lovely, sexy love of his life was standing before him, her voluptuous figure clad in a red bustier with black lace that hugged her breasts and body tightly, accentuating her curves. Her bottom half was covered in nothing but a black sheer thong with garters attached. On her feet she wore a pair of strappy black stilettos. "Whatcha think, Baby Boy?" she said huskily, making her way towards him in a sensual strut. The heels of her shoes clicked against the hard wood floor of their bedroom and she crawled onto the bed, moving on top of Derek so she was straddling his hips. She placed a soft kiss on his throat and listened as a breath hitched in his throat. "Do you like it?"

"Woman," he groaned. "You know I do." He brought his hands up to cup her breasts, but she pushed his hands back down.

"Good, because you better enjoy the show." She slid back off the bed and began to strip out of her sexy negligee, letting Derek enjoy the view.

Once she was naked, she looked at his wide eyes and crawled back on top of him, pulling his t-shirt off his chest to kiss his smoothly defined muscles. He was too overcome with desire that he was paralyzed in place until she pulled his lips up to meet hers and ignited a fiery kiss.

"I love you, Derek," she whispered and began to make love to him.

Sliding off of Derek's sweaty form, Penelope nestled closer to Derek and settled her chin against his chest. She placed a kiss on his neck and nuzzled it.

"Damn, Baby Girl," he said breathlessly. "You are absolutely freaking amazing." He kissed the top of her blonde head. "Have I mentioned how much I love you since I got home?"

"Several times," she snickered. "You cried it out a lot just tonight."

"That would be because we've made love three times already," he laughed.

They were silent for a moment, clutching each other tightly. Penelope never felt so safe as when she was wrapped in Derek's tender embrace. It was one of the only places she felt secure and truly loved. But there was a matter that weighed heavily on her mind: her divorce from Kevin. In the last three months all she'd gotten in response from him regarding their divorce was the papers shredded on her office doorstep. He was simply refusing to sign and end their marriage.

"Derek?" she murmured quietly, still feeling pleasantly sore from their lovemaking. "Kevin still won't give me a divorce." She was reluctant to talk to him about it at midnight, but she knew she had to get around to it sometime.

He was silent for what felt like the longest time.

"Sweetheart," she murmured, turning over to lie on her belly and rest her chin on his chest. "Say something."

When his eyes met her, he looked at her with a pained glint in her eyes. "Baby Girl, we'll do everything in our power to get that divorce. I want to marry you so badly and make you my wife, but for now I'll be content with just being with you. I love you more than life itself and want nothing more than to make you happy." His eyes filled with love at that moment and she could see straight into his body, letting her eyes bask in the glow of his heart.

Eyes brimming with tears, Penelope looked at him and murmured, "Make love to me again Derek. Let me show you that I love you just as much as you love me."

He smiled and whispered back in her ear, nibbling on it a little, "Baby, you show me you love me with everything you do and say. And yes, I'll make love to you. For the fourth time this evening." Sliding on top of her, he kissed her again hungrily.

**Okay, my bad. Kevin isn't coming back until next chapter. And trust me, you'll still not like him. Let me know what you think in a review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Alright, here's the Kevin chapter. And he's not a happy guy. Sorry about the delay on this chapter. Let me know you thoughts in a review! Thanks ~Abbey**

"Kevin, it's been three months," Penelope pleaded. "I'm so sorry I hurt you, but we both need this. You won't be able to have a new relationship if you're still married to me." She knew she shouldn't be feeling disdain towards him, but she couldn't help but be frustrated. Why was he refusing to sign the papers? Did he intentionally want to make her miserable? Probably. It made perfect sense.

"I'm not going to sign them," he growled, not even turning around to look at her. "Not until it's the right time." He continued to type away at his computer, intent on ignoring her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"It means," he roared, finally turning around to face her with hate filled eyes, "that I'm going to make you and Derek fucking Morgan suffer as much as possible. Your bastard daughter too." He was practically spitting anger.

Penelope saw red. "Don't you dare bring my daughter into this! She hasn't done anything wrong."

"You really think that?" he spat. "She destroyed our marriage, our plans for a life together."

"We weren't happy," she said. "Hell Kevin, I was calling out Derek's name in my sleep. Did you really think I was in love with you at that point?"

Penelope was silent after that.

"Get out of my office," Kevin ordered, not caring that he was attempting to sound authoritative. "You're nothing but a piece of whorish garbage and one day your daughter will get what's coming to her. Pieces of trash like her always do."

For some reason Penelope's blood chilled at the sound of his words. _One day your daughter will get what's coming to her._ What the hell was that supposed to mean?

"Sign the papers. Leave my family alone," she said quietly.

Kevin merely snickered as she headed out the door. "Not likely," were the last words he said to her before she hurried out of sight.

Derek was worried when he saw Penelope drive up into the driveway and got out of the car looking pale. He was at home with Eden, playing with blocks on the living room carpet while she'd run out to take care of trying to get her divorce papers signed. Her expression was less than pleased. She opened the door to the house and called out, "Hey." Her voice was weak, like she couldn't stand to talk.

Eden looked up at her mother and squealed with delight when she entered the room. Lately she was very into using her hands and she waved them up and down excitedly. Penelope allowed herself to smile a moment when she laid eyes on her daughter. Derek looked at her when she sat down on the floor next to Eden. She handed her mother a pink block and then reached forward to grab her mother's skirt. Smiling, Penelope pulled her daughter into her lap and kissed the top of her head. She still hadn't said anything since letting them know she was there.

Derek pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear and rubbed his thumb over her cheek bone. "Baby Girl?" he asked. He wanted her to look at him, but she just kept her eyes on Eden's head. She sat, holding Eden close to her, and didn't say a word. A few tears rolled down her cheeks through her closed eyes and Derek moved closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, resting his head in the crook of her neck. "I've got you," he murmured, kissing the side of her head. As she began to cry more, he held her tighter and repeated, "I've got you, Baby Girl."

Penelope put her sleeping daughter down in her crib, pulling her baby blanket up around to cover her. It was time for her afternoon nap and she would only be asleep for a short while. She needed to talk to Derek about her encounter with Kevin from the morning. He was waiting for her outside the nursery when she closed the door and she let him hold her again. "Thanks, Hot Stuff," she sniffled.

"Baby Girl, this can't just be about the divorce papers," he said softly. "Something happened." He stared into her eyes, no judgment, just love. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Penelope took a deep breath and let herself lean on Derek for support. She opened her mouth and choked out, "He said, 'One day your daughter will get what's coming to her.'" Her breath hitched in her throat and she forced herself to repeat it. Suddenly she sobbed. "Derek, he – he said Eden would…" She sagged against him, letting the fear take hold of her.

"Baby, he's not going to ever come near her," Derek tried saying to her. "I won't ever let him! You won't let him! No one is going to touch her." Derek didn't once stop holding her as he tried to sooth her worry. In his mind, though, he was raging. The very thought that Kevin had breathed a word about Eden made him fill murderous. The last time he'd seen Kevin was at the hospital when Eden was born and he'd wanted to punch him then. But now he'd specifically threatened his daughter.

He was going to make sure Kevin knew the meaning of misery.

"Derek, what are we going to do?" Penelope asked, looking up at him.

"Everything in our power to keep her safe," he vowed. "Kevin Lynch isn't coming anywhere Eden." He pulled her lips up to his and kissed her gently. "As long as we're breathing, Kevin Lynch will be kept away from her and if he dares touch her, he's going to go down."

Penelope bit her lip and then kissed him back. "Okay," she whispered, hugging him tightly. "Okay."

**Aah! I'm sorry this chapter is so short. I've been working on this while doing school stuff so it's probably not very good. It's also one of those in-between the good stuff type chapters where not a ton happens, but it's necessary for the story.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's the next installment! All "anti-Kevin" fans are gonna love this chapter…**

"Talk to me, Baby Girl," Derek said as he answered his cell. After their two days off, the team was immediately called away again, this time to Lowell, Michigan to investigate a series of murders at a high school. He'd been extremely reluctant to leave Penelope and Eden alone, but he was somewhat confident that Kevin would leave them alone for the time being.

_Derek's fist slammed into Kevin's nose the moment Kevin opened the door to leave his house. He fell backwards onto the ground, clutching his bleeding face and tried to back away from Derek, who was looming over him._

"_Get up you sick son of a bitch!" he growled. "Get up!"_

"_Agent Morgan, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Kevin said, his voice sounding raspier than normal. "Come back to exchange _my_ wife for one of your usual bimbos?"_

_Grabbing his shirt collar, Derek hauled the smaller man up to his feet and slammed him into the wall. "No," he yelled. "I'm here to kick the shit out of you for threatening my daughter!" This time he landed a punch to Kevin's gut and then let him fall to the ground again. "You ever touch my daughter, and I swear to God, I'll kill you!" Kevin tried to rise from the ground, but Derek pushed him back each attempt he made._

"_Big hunk of FBI muscle committing murder?" Kevin snickered. "How's that going to sound to your precious Eden? Is she going to grow up with a father in prison?"_

"_No," Derek hissed as he pulled Kevin up to face level. "Because you're not going to come near my daughter. You're going to leave my family alone."_

"_Penelope is _mine_!" Kevin screeched. "She's my wife, so therefore she's my family. She married me!"_

_It was Derek's turn to snicker. "And though she's married to you, she's with me. We're together and we plan to stay together for the rest of our lives. With or without your signature on a piece of paper." He let go of the collar of Kevin's shirt again and watched as he struggled to stay on his feet. Starting for the door, he said over his shoulder, "Stay the fuck away from _my_ family or there'll be hell to pay. And you're not going to be so lucky at the end of that next meeting."_

"Well, dearest occupant of the other side of my bed, I found something of interest," Penelope chirped in his ear. "Of the boys left on your list of suspects, three of them have texts with the same address on them."

"Which ones?"

"Let's see, we've got Joel Gauck, Carter Finkhouse, and Peter Watson," she said, listing off the names. I've sent the address to you already."

"Thanks Mama," he said, writing the names down and passing them off to JJ. "Hey, how's our baby doing?" He was listening intently, not just because he missed his daughter, but because he wanted to see if there was any hint in her voice that she might be worried about something.

"She's great," Penelope said, her voice sounding normal. "I had her in her 'Daddy's Girl' onesie this morning." Derek smiled at the thought of the sparkly pink outfit his mother had bought for her granddaughter briefly but he was more concerned if Kevin had made any contact with her. Before he could ask, she added, "And no, I haven't heard a word from Kevin. Not even a peep."

He let out a breath. His "chat" had proved productive. "Okay, Baby," he murmured. There was more he wanted to say, but the words weren't coming to him. He was simply basking in the relief that he would be going home to find them alright and unharmed.

"I love you, Derek," Penelope said. "Go catch the baddie and get home safely. I'll be leaving a light on for you until you're back in bed with me."

"I love you too," he said before hanging up. Rubbing his forehead tiredly, he put his phone down and got ready to set out the door.

JJ noticed his stiff behavior and said, "Derek? Are you okay?"

Looking at her absentmindedly, he nodded, "Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Penelope got us the address from three of the boys' phones."

"Let's go then," Hotch said, standing up from the table. "We'll get you home in no time."

Penelope watched as Kevin walked out of his office, carrying all his belongings in a standard-issue cardboard box. He was whistling as he made his way towards the elevators and she was curious as to why he was leaving the bureau. Though he seemed relatively cheery there was a huge, yet fading bruise on his face as if he'd been punched. She furrowed her brow until she saw the elevators open to reveal the team who were now back from Michigan. When Derek's eyes met Kevin's and a ferocious glare lit up his handsome face, the much shorter man jumped backwards, his box of things falling to the ground, its contents spilling.

Derek merely smirked and made his way to his office to drop his things off. Penelope groaned internally. She was going to have to have a talk with him to find out when he'd gone to Kevin and flattened his nose to his face.

Not bothering to knock on his office door, Penelope opened Derek's office and locked it behind her. He looked up from what he was doing and smirked shamelessly at her. "Locking the door are you?" he said. Putting his file down, he walked towards her and pulled her into his arms. "Office sex is pretty kinky, but we have a bed that works much better. We can go home in an hour, and you can put on another piece of lingerie on and it can be just as good."

Penelope clamped a hand over his mouth and shushed him. "Strauss could hear," she scolded, shaking her head. Straightening her back, she added quietly, "Derek, what did you do to Kevin's face?"

He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and touched the rim of her electric blue and green glasses. "I wanted to make sure he left you alone while we were away," he said, his arms still around her. "And it seemed to work."

"Yeah, it worked so well that he quit," she replied bluntly. "Derek, what if this just sets him off and he pushes off signing the divorce papers longer? Did you think about that?"

His arms dropped from around her and he stared at her. "Baby, I wasn't thinking about anything but your safety. Yours and Eden's. I could care less if he never signs those damn papers, just as long as I know you and our daughter are out of harm's way."

"Derek, there were other ways to handle this!" she said in exasperation. "I doubt he would've tried to come near us. Kevin's an ass, not an idiot!"

He stared at her, not understanding why they were having this argument. "Penelope, what's the big deal?"

She rolled her eyes. "Derek, do you realize you could've made even more problems for us right now?" she grumbled. "What if he never signs the papers?"

"Is everything about the damn divorce papers?" he nearly hollered. "You don't seem to get that they're not a huge concern to me right now."

Penelope felt like she'd been kicked in the gut. "So you don't want to marry me?" she choked out. "You just want us to live together, me as your _mistress_?"

Derek rubbed his head. "No Penelope! Of course I want to marry you. What I meant is you and Eden being safe is more important to me than getting married right now. Kevin Lynch threatened our daughter and I went to straighten him out. I didn't think – "

Penelope turned to unlock the door and spat, "That's the problem. You didn't think." Without looking at him again, she stormed out of the office, leaving Derek completely stunned.

When Penelope had put Eden to bed at seven, she heard Derek coming in downstairs. All night since she'd gotten home she'd been trying to come up with reasons for her outburst and so far she'd come up with zilch. All she really knew was that she had to apologize to Derek. She'd already scared him off from coming home straight after work was done, so she knew she'd affected him. An overwhelming feeling of guilt was filling her body and she prayed Derek would be forgiving.

As she padded down the stairs and into the living room, she found him sitting on the couch, the television now switched on to a hockey game. His eyes were focused on it and didn't stray to her when she made it into the living room. She didn't say anything as she sat down next to him on the couch. Silence, save for the sound of the television filled the space between them. They acted as if there was nothing wrong for ten minutes, before the tension caused Penelope to grab the remote from his hand and turn the tv off.

"Penelope!" Derek finally looked her, his face irritated.

"Derek," she said softly. "Listen, I don't know what happened earlier." She watched the features on his face soften slightly before continuing. "I just wanted you to know that I don't care if we're not married. I just want to be free of Kevin because I'm yours. I don't even want a piece of paper tying me to someone other than you."

"Baby Girl…"

She shook her head and crawled on top of Derek's lap, holding his face in her hands. "I am yours, Derek. I don't give a fuck if we're married or not, I just want you. And I'm so sorry about how I acted. You don't deserve that. Granted, we'll have to make sure you don't go around using people as punching-bags, but –"

Hushing her, Derek put a finger to her lips and said, "Woman, stop running your motor mouth." He kissed her softly. "I will always forgive you. And do you know why?"

"Hmm?" she murmured, looking deeply into his eyes that she could so easily melt in with just one look.

"Because we have a forever kind of love," he said firmly. "We're always going to be together. And always being together means we have to be able to trust and forgive each other. So, we'll make it through this and that's that." He pulled her towards his lips and kissed her passionately. His tongue gained access to her sweet mouth and she moaned against him.

Backing away from his mouth, she smiled. "I love you," she whispered. "And if you want, I do have some more lingerie upstairs that I have yet to wear. Maybe I could give you a…private viewing?" She traced a finger down the side of his neck. Already she felt better, warmer.

"Oh woman," Derek groaned, rising from the couch with her in his arms. "Hell yes."

"Take me upstairs, then," Penelope said seductively in his ear, wrapping her legs around his waist and letting the love of her life carry her up to their bedroom.

**I plan to shoot the next chapter ahead another six months…just a quick FYI. Let me know what you think :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or its characters, as much as I wish I did…**

**Alright folks, here's six months later as Eden is nearing a year old. I don't plan on there being many more chapters, but there will be a sequel to this story that takes place sixteen years later.**

_Six Months Later_

"Baby Girl!" Derek cried excitedly. Penelope was in the kitchen, finishing up dinner when she heard Derek calling her from the living room. Turning off the stove, she took a quick sip of wine before going to find what he was so excited about. On the floor of the living room Eden and Derek were crawling around, laughing when she found them.

"I see you two are having fun," she said with a smile. "What's going on?"

Derek sat up and pulled Eden onto his lap. "Eden, can you do what you were doing earlier?" he asked. Looking up at Penelope from the floor, he grinned widely. "We were in her playing around with her blocks again and she started to try and say something." He was fidgeting with excitement as he looked back down at his daughter. "Can we show Mommy what you were trying to say? Huh?"

Eden giggled and looked up at Penelope. Opening her mouth and gurgling, she giggled, "Mammmma!" She laughed and clapped several times before pointing at her mother. "Mama!" She then pointed up at Derek and said, "Daddy!"

Kneeling down on the floor, Penelope grinned widely as Eden crawled off of Derek's lap and towards her only a few feet away. "You're talking Baby Doll!" she said in delight. "And your said 'mama' first." She looked at Derek and blew him a kiss. "I told you it would be me she said first," she bragged.

Shaking his head and laughing, Derek watched Penelope and Eden with each other. Mother and daughter were smiling brightly at each other and it warmed his heart to have the two most important people with him and happy. Pulling out his phone, he snapped a picture of Penelope and Eden. "Perfect," he murmured.

"What is?" she asked, stroking back some of Eden's hair. She kissed the top of her babbling daughter's head and smiled. "What's perfect?" When she looked up at him and saw his eyes, shining with love and devotion. Moving forward towards her on his hands and knees, Derek kissed her nose and stroked his thumb against her cheek.

"You and Eden," he replied simply. "You're the most perfect people in my life." Standing up, he offered her a hand and she rose to her feet with Eden in her arms. He kissed her lips this time, holding her close with their daughter snuggled in between them. "Let's go have some dinner."

_Elsewhere_

Kevin cautiously flipped the light on to his apartment, making sure no one was lying wait for him. Ever since Agent Morgan had jumped him six months ago he'd been cautious about everything and anywhere. Taking a deep breath in relief, he walked into his apartment, locking the door behind him.

It had been almost a year since Eden Morgan had been born. Since he'd realized she wasn't his child he'd kept tabs on the little girl, wanting to know every movement she made. Already she was a smaller, dark-haired version of her mother with the only physical difference between them her skin and eye color. Those she clearly had from her father. When he'd quit the FBI his main goal was to make Penelope and Derek miserable. And he was beginning his journey, starting with the daughter that should have been his.

On his kitchen table were a set of signed divorce papers that he planned to send to Penelope in the mail in the morning. The first stage of his plan was for them to think he'd relented, that the worst was behind them. Agent Morgan would propose to her, they would get married, and likely have more children.

Then, and only then, would he make his move. They were going to experience the pain he'd been in. Not that day, not the next, but soon they would. And they would know that Kevin Lynch was the one who had caused it.

_The Next Day_

"Jayje, I'm telling you," Penelope said as they sat down for lunch. "She's speaking up a storm! She just keeps saying things over and over." She smiled as she showed JJ the picture of her and Eden that Derek had taken.

JJ grinned. "Well, she is her mother's daughter," she said. Looking up, she waved Emily over to their table. "She was bound to start talking sooner or later."

"Hearing this makes me wonder what she'll be like sixteen years from now," Penelope said, sipping at her ice water. "Hey Em."

Emily looked at her and asked, "What's up with you? You look extremely thrilled."

Penelope smiled widely. "My little girl started to talk last night," she said proudly, showing her the picture from last night. Digging through her bag, she pulled out a large manila envelope and curiously opened it. "And since we're at lunch, I'm going to take a look at this. It was left in my box at work and I haven't had a chance to open it yet." Inside were divorce papers with Kevin's signature scribbled in all the right places. She gasped and put her hand to her mouth.

She was free. She was well and truly Penelope Garcia again.

After the girls and Penelope had returned from lunch and celebratory drinks, she rushed to find Derek. He was standing in his office, throwing something away when she came in, locking the door behind her. She looked at him with a seductive smile on her face and held up her divorce papers. Advancing closer to him, she showed the papers with the signatures and grinned. "Looky what Mama's got here."

"Are those divorce papers?" he asked, his voice shuddering with anticipation.

Nodding, Penelope put them on Derek's desk and wrapped her arms around his sculpted body. "Yes they are. And you know what that means…"

"Hmm?" he asked, his breath catching in his throat as her fingers wrapped around his ass. His heart was pounding both from joy and lust. The beating of his heart had grown faster and he was desperately trying to keep himself from taking her on his desk in the middle of the day.

"Hot. Kinky. Office. Sex." She interrupted each word with kisses to his neck and face. Penelope began to unbutton his shirt, but before she finished the last one, he grasped her wrist. She looked at him in confusion. "What? What is it?"

Derek moved out from between her and the desk and went around to grab something from a drawer. He produced a small red velvet box and came back to her. Smiling, he watched her eyes grow wide in shock. "Penelope Garcia," he murmured, descending to one knee. "Will you marry me?"

Penelope stared at the glittering diamond ring and then at Derek, warmth filling her chest cavity. This was what she'd wanted from the beginning. Putting her hands on Derek's cheeks, she sniffled and said, "Get up here you silly man. Of course I'll marry you!"

He grinned and kissed her passionately when he was back up at face level. Her scent consumed him and she clutched him tightly, wrapping her arms around his back. When their lips parted, they just held each other tightly. Neither of them moved an inch. "I love you, Baby Girl," he murmured in her ear. "Very much."

"When we get married, I'm going to be the happiest person in the entire world," she whispered back. "Just like when Eden was born."

"Then let's become the happiest people together." Derek met her mouth again and they kissed her with all the love in the world in his heart.

**One last chapter and it's the epilogue! Hang in there guys!**


	9. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, even though I wish I did :(**

**Here's the epilogue to my little story. I've got an epilogue on the way and dear sadistic Kevin shall be making his final appearance. But for now enjoy this lovely piece of romance and happiness.**

_Two Years Later – The Wedding of Penelope Garcia and Derek Morgan_

Penelope adjusted one of the curls falling down over her shoulder and looked at herself in the mirror. She had little pink flowers weaved in and a tiara at her crown. Her white gown was somewhat loose to accommodate for her six and a half month pregnant belly. She felt one of her twins wiggle and she looked down and rubbed her distended belly. Emily walked to behind her and put her hand on Penelope's shoulder. She smiled tenderly.

"You ready for this?" she asked.

Penelope grinned widely. "I was born ready, Em," she said with confidence. "I'm marrying the man who I want to spend the rest of my life with. I want to have more of his babies and I want to grow old and spend my last days in his arms. This is how our forever begins."

"Mommy!"

Turning in her chair, Penelope saw Eden, now two years old, rushing towards her with JJ following behind her, her little pink dress rustling around her feet. There were pink flowers in her hair, just like her mother's and she was grinning. Her smile was just like Penelope's and love swelled in her mother's heart. Penelope stood and let her daughter wrap her arms around her legs. She wished desperately to lean down and pick up her baby girl, but she couldn't with her twins in her belly.

"Baby Doll," she said. "Are you excited to see Mommy and Daddy get married?"

Eden smiled, looked up at her mother, and smiled widely. "Yeah!"

"And who's going to be waiting for us at the front?"

"Daddy is!"

A knock sounded from the door and Penelope saw Rossi poke his head in. "You ready to go?"

Taking her daughter's hand, she smiled and nodded. "Yes."

"Stop fidgeting!" Hotch scolded. "Everything's fine."

Derek wrung his hands together. "What if she doesn't come? What if she realizes that I'm just a good looking fool and she doesn't want to marry me and just –"

"As your best man and boss, I'm ordering you to stop it," Hotch barked. "Penelope loves you. She'll be coming."

"Okay man," Derek said.

When the ceremony began and Penelope and Eden came into view, Rossi on her arm, his gut stopped churning and he grinned. Nothing would go wrong now. Eden waved happily at him and held her mother's hand. It felt extremely wonderful watching the two people he loved most in the world walk towards him. He could hardly wait for them to reach him. The love he felt was bursting at the seams and made him feel like he would explode.

The eternity ended and Eden let go of Penelope's hand and rushed to her father, holding her arms up, signaling she wanted to be picked up. Derek grinned and leaned down to scoop his daughter up in his arms. Wrapping his arms around his daughter, she leaned up to his ear and whispered, "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, Baby Doll," he said back. Putting Eden down, he watched her scurry to Fran. Derek turned his attention to Penelope. She was staring at him, unblinking, ready for everything that was coming. They joined hands and she gave him a gentle squeeze. Penelope looked radiant. A glow that pregnant women all had covered her features, one hand resting on her pregnant belly.

The world disappeared at that moment, and it was just him and Penelope. Their eyes stayed glued to each other's through the whole ceremony and it was almost like they didn't hear the words of the priest. They spoke their vows with love thick in their voices and passion in their eyes.

When they were told they could kiss, Derek pulled his new wife towards him and kissed her passionately. Pulling away, he grinned and said, "I love you…Mrs. Morgan."


End file.
